The Search for Sadhbh
by SullenStriker
Summary: (Rewritten Servant Interlude) When a recent memory of a past loved one recurs, Fionn is called to the forests of Erin. Could he find the one he is searching for, or could his obsession lead him into a trap by an ancient foe?


Rustling leaves, winding winds, scraping footsteps, all disappear into noise, muddled by the sense of panic coursing all throughout. Only one word—one name—stands out amidst the mess within my psyche: "Sadhbh!"

Over and over, I scream out her name into the dark forest. The trees tower over me, sneering at my vain attempts as their dense canopies conceal the moonlight. As I continue my search, the path darkens more and more, until it melts into blackness. Tears in my eyes, I drop to my knees, drowning in despair.

"Sadhbh..."

A strange word slips loose from Fionn's lips, too quiet to be heard by anyone, save for the dark-haired individual next to him. The individual, Phantom, recognizes the tinge of pain in his voice and sympathizes. Whatever this "Saiv" is, it clearly means the world to his friend, just as Christine does to himself. Fionn needs his help, that much is clear.

"Fionn," he asks, his musical speech patterns cracking from nerves, "are you well?"

The blond young man's trance breaks and he turns his attention to Phantom. "Oh, I, uh… It's nothing, really." Noticing the worried look on his face, he drops the facade. "It's that obvious, isn't it? There is actually a favor I would like to ask."

They later reunite in a forest from somewhere in Fionn's beloved Erin, joined by a motley crew of Servants: Paracelsus, David, and Caesar. "This hunting trip is a perfect opportunity for me to gather local herbs and animal parts," Paracelsus muses while inspecting a small wildflower he plucked from the ground. "Although I have to wonder what brought this about." His one visible eye glimmers with curious suspicion, forcing Fionn to drop his guard.

"If I have to be honest, there is something I am searching for. Or rather, some _one_."

Phantom's eyes widen, the cogs reeling in his brain. David, however, has his interest piqued for a slightly different reason. "Up to your lady-chasing antics like usual, I see. If she's cute enough to drag us all the way out here, I'd like to meet with her myself."

"You will lay not one finger on her," Fionn snaps at the shepherd. He likely would have done more to him had Caesar not intervened.

"Quit it, you two! If we're going to find this person, it might be best if we split up to cover more ground. We can reunite later and—"

"No need for that. Erik, your voice is capable of enchanting women, is it not? We can use you to lure Sadhbh in should my natural charms fail me. But the Dark Druid's trickery knows no bounds, so we must take caution."

Under Fionn's lead, they march onward. However, as time goes on, his partners start showing concern for his mental state, as his frustration slowly seeps onto the surface of his demeanor. Eventually, David has to ask, "So, what does this Sadhbh look like?"

The Irish Lancer scoffs at the shepherd. "Do you really have to ask? She's the most beautiful being you shall ever set eyes upon! Sweet, innocent, and docile, much like…"

He is cut off by the sounds of rustling in the nearby brush. Just ahead, emerging from the shrubbery, is a delicate doe. Immediately, he is captivated by it, for instead of an ordinary creature, he saw the image of a beautiful woman, much like that from dreams of a time long past. "Sadhbh, can it be…? Yes. It's you! Sadhbh, come to me!"

While he is enamored by the presence of the deer, the others are more conflicted, most of all Phantom, his red eyes cast downward, a strained feeling in his gut. _There is something very wrong here_ , it tells him. The possibility of enchantment is definitely at play here, but to whom? _Only one way to find out._

As the Lancer approaches, his voice growing more manic, the creature begins to back away, as if in terror. "Sadhbh, where are you going? Come back, please, come ba—!"

In a swift motion, the deer's throat is slit, and its body collapses to the ground. Instead of blood, however, a dark, corrupted void of smoky mana emits from its wounds as the corpse slowly withers to dust. Fionn's trance is broken, though his heart in that moment is equally shattered. He has little time to lament, for shortly after, a group of beastmen leap from the bushes, surrounding the group, and from the ground, a large, golden hand emerges, sucking in the remnants of the false mammal's life force. Phantom tries to rush over to Fionn's aid, only to be flanked by hooded figures, and Caesar is preoccupied with fighting off a beastman himself. With only a shepherd and an alchemist for support, the fight for their survival begins.

Slashing, stabbing, swinging his lance at his foes, his combat maneuvers are far more aggressive than normal. Afflicted with madness, his desire to kill the henchmen of the Fer Doirich—the Dark Druid—has overwritten his original goal, and once the battle is over, what reason he had for coming has almost been wiped from his mind. After regaining his breath—and his sanity—he turns to his comrades and gives a bashful smile. "Looks like things didn't go quite as planned. But with your help, I was able to find a lead, and that's more than I could have asked for."

"It was certainly an enlightening experience," Paracelsus responds as he scavenges bits and pieces from the corpses. "Perhaps I can use my talents to further assist you in your mission, and I can learn a thing or two about this 'Dark Druid'."

"It's really too bad that we never got to see Sadhbh," says David with a frown. "She must have been really cute if she could put up with y—" The tip of Fionn's lance near his throat gets him to shut up.

"We should start heading back home," Caesar cuts in. "I've had enough of this wild goose chase myself."

Once the bodies are picked clean of their loot, the three start heading back, while Fionn lingers far behind with Phantom. "I was such a fool," he mutters under his breath. "I fell for such an obvious trick and lost my mind over it. I hope you can forgive me for troubling you so."

Phantom does not reply immediately, distracted by the presence of something else. Hiding among the trees is a young boy, handsome and fair with doe-like eyes. The Lancer's body stiffens at the sight. _This is no illusion…is it?_ "Oisín?" In response, the boy smiles then turns and disappears like a specter in the night.


End file.
